In addition to currently installing the major cyclone package at mining and metals company First Quantum Minerals’ new Sentinel copper project, in Northern Zambia, minerals solutions company Weir Minerals Africa has been awarded two more packages – one for Sentinel and the other for Enterprise Nickel, which is also part of the greater Trident project.

The Trident project in Zambia comprises the Sentinel copper deposit, the Enterprise nickel deposit and other exploration prospects, which First Quantum Minerals obtained through the acquisition of mineral exploration company Kiwara plc in February 2010.

The first order, placed in mid-2012, represented one of the largest cyclone cluster installations of its kind ever supplied by Weir Minerals Africa for an African application, states Weir Minerals Africa process manager JD Singleton.

This order included two 12 × 650CVX cyclone clusters for the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill application and four 16 × 650CVX cyclone clusters for the ball mill classification duties. Commissioning of the equipment is scheduled for the second quarter of this year.

“The subsequent package for Sentinel comprises more than 50 Warman AH horizontal centrifugal slurry and AHF horizontal froth pumps, ranging in size from small to large, and 55 Warman vertical spindle pumps capable of handling large volumes,” he says.

He adds that the package also includes the supply of 611 Isogate knife-gate slurry valves ranging from 2" to 48" in size, with manual, pneumatic and hydraulic actuation units, and a high-pressure range of 24" high-pressure Isogate knife-gate slurry valves, including Isogate WS, WB, WBP and WH units.

“It is one of the biggest Isogate knife-gate valve orders that Weir Minerals Africa has received on the continent to date,” he notes.

Meanwhile, the third package comprises all the cyclones needed on the Enterprise nickel project – one cluster of ten Cavex 500CVX hydrocyclones and two clusters of four Cavex 500CVX hydrocyclones for installation at the Enterprise ball and SAG mills.

As with the earlier Sentinel package, all Weir Minerals Africa cyclone clusters are designed and manufactured in South Africa, Singleton notes, adding that the company will also supply 53 horizontal Warman AH slurry pumps and AHF froth pumps as part of this order.

All these products will be serviced by the company’s service centre in Kitwe, Zambia, as part of its aftermarket service support for the life-of-mine, he says, adding that the aftermarket service includes stockholding of spare parts, with backup from the company’s product specialists, based in Isando, South Africa.

“Being awarded three packages for the Trident project is a clear indication that the market has fully recognised our transition from a historical slurry pumps supplier to a world-class manufacturer of a host of complementary products, including large cyclone clusters, valves and Linatex rubber linings,” he says, noting that Warman pumps are well proven in similar applications worldwide, but are locally engineered, manufactured and supported in Africa.

Further, he comments that the company has a long history of supplying its technology to First Quantum Minerals, both in Africa and further afield, including Australia and Finland.

“The fact that all the Cavex cyclones being supplied incorporate Isogate knife-gate valves and our proprietary Linatex linings proves once again that we’re able to provide complete process packages, supported by our service crews close to the customer’s operations,” he says.

e adds that the company’s proprietary Cavex hydrocyclone technology is thoroughly estab- lished in the Zambian Copper-belt, complemented by Linatex rubber linings for superior abrasion resistance.